Looking for a reason to head to Belfast? April 24 might be a good bet, as they’ve got plans for a big music festival that day. It’ll feature more than 20 acts playing at Roots & Tendrils, the Colonial Theatre, Waterfall Arts, Aarhus Gallery, and the American Legion. Called the BELFAST FREE RANGE MUSIC FESTIVAL (they’ve got chickens on the poster), it’ll feature the JAZZ MANDOLIN PROJECT, DAVID WAX MUSEUM, BROWN BIRD, TIGER SAW, THE FREE SEEDLINGS, DAVID DODSON, MARY ANNE DRISCOLL, LADY LAMB THE BEEKEEPER, TRAVIS LLOYD BAND, WESLEY HARTLEY AND THE TRAVELING TREES, THE FOFERS, LUNA MADIDUS, SOUTH CHINA, LAZARUS, UNBUNNY, SHAWN MERCER AND THE BOONDOCK BLUES BAND, UKE OF SPACES, CINDER CONK, GOOD KIDS SPROUTING HORNS, GULLY, CAETHUA, TRAVIS CYR AND THE STRINGS OF CALAMITY, CLASS MACHINE, MAHDI ARMY ORKESTARS, CALVIN AND THE FREE WILL AGENTS, and RURAL ELECTRIC. Could be fun.

Be on the lookout for a remastered release of BILL CHINNOCK’s Dime Store Heroes. There’s a movement to raise money for a trust fund for Chinnock’s son, William, that started with a show of his music at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and will continue with a similar gig at the Empire April 24.

What are the odds? Ten years! When we organized our first Best Music Poll, way back in the day, we could only hope that it would one day wind up the institution it is today, with the annual Portland Music Awards ceremony drawing the best collection of musical talent Maine can produce.

Portland Music News: June 26, 2009 The "Sibilance" staff sat in on DAVE GUTTER's new project, with EVAN CASAS, being mastered by ADAM AYAN at Gateway. The record's called The Key to Adore and is more organic and subdued than what you've heard from Gutter before. Watch out for his cover of "The Man Comes Around." Look for the disc by end of summer.

Ain't life Grand Bands come and go. Especially local ones. The money's not great, personalities clash, young and single people tend to move around a lot. Kyle Gervais with Cosades had a band a lot of us in Portland will remember for a long time, but they broke up last year for the reasons that bands break up.

Music Seen: Roots and Tendrils Belfast as a destination just got more desirable with the addition of Roots and Tendrils. Nestled downtown, the light from the plate-glass windows and lush landscaped front lawn complete with brilliant colored chairs and lawn sculptures invite anyone heading down to the stone's-throw-away waterfront to peer inside.

Brown Bird in Williamsburg Along with other Mainers in Brooklyn this weekend playing at the Slumberland Records 20th anniversary celebration, Maine/Rhode Island chamber-folk standouts Brown Bird were also in the borough, playing the narrow Williamsburg bar Spike Hill Sunday night.